God, in your infinite love, raise up in your Church
persons who wish to consecrate their life to you
by serving their brothers and sisters.
May your Spirit shape them so that they may bear witness to your love.
Virgin Mary, awaken trust in the hearts of young people,
may they always have the courage and wisdom to welcome
generously the will of God in their lives.
Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys, raise up religious vocations
and all kinds of vocations so that the spirit of Visitation and of Pentecost
may perpetuate throughout the world. Amen.
From “The Narrow Road to Japan: In the Footsteps of Marguerite Bourgeois” by Rose Cauchon, CND.
Arrival in Fukushima
At 9:30 a.m. on October 20, eighteen days after leaving Montreal, I boarded a train bound for Fukushima, where I was headed. On the train, the group witnessed various scenes different from those in their home country. Some people took off their shoes and sat in narrow seats, some smokers were on the train, some people bought ekiben and ate them with chopsticks, some mothers carried their babies on their backs and a box of remains of soldiers who died in China was placed on the incense-burning platform with fruit and candles offered in front of it. I was able to see Japanese customs for the first time.
(Vol. 4) From “The Narrow Road to Japan: In the Footsteps of Marguerite Bourgeoys” by Rose Cauchon, CND.
In this issue, I would like to introduce a benefactor from the early days of the mission, Reverend Yaroku Ebi.
To provide information about the pastor of the church at that time, Rev. Yaroku Ebi was born in Tono Town, Iwate Prefecture, as the sixth child of a Buddhist family. Under the influence of a priest of the Society of Foreign Missions in Paris who came to visit that town, a longing for priesthood grew in his young heart.